FULL ROYAL RUMBLE COVERAGE

By Buck Woodward on 2009-01-25 21:25:22

A video package on JBL and Shawn Michaels' "business arrangement" and how it led to JBL vs. Cena was shown.

Backstage, Shawn Michaels was staring at himself in a mirror. JBL told him if he wins the World Title tonight, he would give Shawn Michaels all of the money he said he would, tonight, and Shawn would not have to work for him ever again. JBL said if he wins the World Title tonight, he would allow Shawn to compete in the Royal Rumble, so he could go on and headline Wrestlemania once again. JBL left the room. Shawn turned to leave, and found himself face-to-face with the Undertaker. Undertaker said "Sometimes, it's hell getting to heaven." Shawn and Undertaker stared at each other, then JBL called to him from the hallway, and Shawn exited the room.

World Heavyweight Champion John Cena vs. JBL, with Shawn Michaels in his corner.

Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler called this match. No limo for JBL's entrance tonight. They did the "big fight" introductions again. JBL got all boos, Cena got a mixed reaction. Cena grabbed an arm and took JBL down at the start, then applied a side headlock. JBL kneed out of it and hit a side mare. JBL hit a shoulderblock, but Cena leapfrogged him and hit a back elbow. JBL rolled to the floor to regroup, and he whispered something to Michaels. Back in the ring, JBL hit a forearm, then a series of punches and a boot to the face in the corner. Cena reversed a whip by JBL and hit a bulldog for a two count, then Cena hit the Throwback for a two count. JBL rolled to the floor again. Cena chased after JBL, who ducked a Cena clothesline. Cena came face to face with Michaels, and JBL hit Cena from behind. JBL rammed Cena into the ringsteps, then rolled him back into the ring for a two count.

JBL hit a kick to the head and decked Cena. There were dueling chants, pro and con Cena. JBL hit a short arm clothesline, then five consecutive elbowdrops for a two count. JBL snapmared Cena, then applied a crossface. Cena powered up to his feet, broke out, but got caught in a side slam for a two count. Cena rolled to the apron, and JBL shoulderblocked him off and to the floor. JBL threw Cena into the ringsteps, then tossed him back into the ring for a two count. JBL slugged Cena in a corner, then set up for a superplex. Cena blocked the move, and punched JBL off the ropes. Cena hit a top rope Rocker Dropper, then crawled over onto JBL for a two count. Both men got to their feet, and JBL booted a charging Cena. JBL set up for a Clothesline From Hell, but Cena tripped him to the mat. Cena hit two shoulderblocks and a back suplex into a powerbomb.

Cena did the "You can't see me" gesture and hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle fistdrop. Cena lifted JBL for the FU, but JBL elbowed out of it. JBL went to bounce off the ropes, but Cena tripped him and applied the STF, right near the side of the ring where Michaels was standing. Michaels put his hands on the ropes, and Cena let go of the hold and kicked at them. This allowed JBL to kick Cena, and he fell through the ropes, which Michaels was "sort of" holding open. Cena stared at Michaels as he got in the ring. JBL hit the Clothesline From Hell, but Cena kicked out. JBL stared at Michaels, who stared back. JBL picked Cena up off the mat. Cena tried to grab an FU, but JBL elbowed out. JBL went for a kick, Cena moved, and the referee got caught with it. JBL and Cena clotheslined each other, so everyone is down in the ring.

Shawn Michaels climbed into the ring. He prepared for a superkick, and JBL said "kick him". Michaels kicked JBL. Cena smiled. There was an "HBK" chant. Michaels then superkicked Cena. A lot of fans still chanted "HBK". Michaels rolled unconscious JBL on top of Cena and went to leave. There were boos for this. Michaels stopped, but then exited the ring and walked up the aisle. There was a chant for Cena. A second referee ran down, and began to count, but Cena got his shoulder up at two. JBL and Cena got up, and JBL went for a short arm-clothesline, but Cena ducked it and hit an FU (don't we have a new, child friendly name for it? Lawler called it the "patented move") for the pin at the 15-minute mark.

Winner: John Cena.

A commercial for the "Legends Of Wrestlemania" game featuring Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, The Rock, Steve Austin, Roddy Piper and the Ultimate Warrior was shown.

Jim Ross and Tazz finally appeared on the show, and sent us to a video package hyping the World Title match.

WWE Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Edge.

Jim Ross and Tazz called this match. For some reason, the champion, Jeff Hardy, entered the ring first. Smackdown General Manager Vickie Guerrero then came out (that's probably why), and said she changed the bout to a no DQ match, so Hardy couldn't try to save the title with a DQ. Vickie then brought out Edge, who was accompanied by Chavo Guerrero. Vickie returned to the back, while Chavo went to ringside. They then had the "big fight" introductions.

Hardy charged Edge at the bell and stomped him down in a corner. Hardy worked over Edge, hitting a flying forearm. Jeff stomped Edge, who bailed out of the ring. Jeff chased him back in, but Hardy stopped and grabbed a chair. As Hardy got on the apron, Edge kicked the chair away. Edge punched Hardy back into the ring, then hit a forearm in the corner. Hardy leapfrogged Edge and clotheslined him. Hardy snapmared Edge and dropkicked him in the back of the head. Hardy slammed Edge. Some fans chanted for tables. Edge fought back hitting punched and ramming him into a corner. Edge threw out Hardy, who landed on his feet, then slid in as Edge slid out. Hardy teased a dive, and Edge ducked, but Hardy put on the breaks, then hit Edge with a clothesline from the apron. Hardy put Edge in the ring and got on the apron. Chavo distracted Hardy. Hardy then went for a springboard, but Edge booted him to the floor. Edge hit a baseball slide kick to the outside.

Edge worked over Hardy on the outside, ramming him into all the announce tables at ringside. Edge threw Hardy back in the ring and hit an elbowdrop. Edge kicked Hardy in the ribs, then punched him in a corner. Edge hit a spear in the corner, then whipped Hardy into the opposite turnbuckles. Edge charged, but Hardy grabbed a sunset flip for two, and Edge hit a clothesline after rolling out of it. Edge then applied a reverse bearhug on the mat. Hardy got to his feet and elbowed out, but Edge yanked him to the mat by his hair. Hardy threw some punches and hit a mule kick, then went to the top rope. Edge met him there, and went for a superplex. Hardy shoved Edge to the mat, then jumped off the top rope, but Edge caught him with a dropkick for a two count.

Edge went to ringside and grabbed a pair of chairs. As Edge got on the apron, Hardy shoulderblocked Edge between the ropes, sending Edge to the floor. Hardy hit a pescado, and then they fought on the apron. Jeff hit a Twist Of Fate on Edge on the ring apron, and both of them bounced off and to the floor. Jeff rammed Edge into the announce tables, and cleared off the Raw table. Jeff then reached under the ring and pulled out a ladder. Jeff set it up on the floor, and put Edge on the Raw announce table. Hardy climbed the ladder, but Chavo climbed up the other side. Hardy knocked him down. Edge slid off the table. Hardy jumped off the ladder and hit Chavo with a clothesline. Hardy rammed Edge into the ringpost. Hardy rammed Chavo into the ringsteps. Hardy put Chavo on the announce table, then jumped off the ladder (the ladder toppling as Hardy jumped off) and put Chavo through the table with a splash.

Hardy got up and dropkicked Edge, who was slumped over on the floor. Hardy tossed Edge into the ring and hit a top rope bodypress for a two count. Hardy stomped Edge, but Edge reversed a whip and hit a big boot to the face. Edge pulled the cover off a turnbuckle. Edge went to ram Hardy in the corner, but Hardy blocked it and then jumped onto the ropes and hit Whisper In The Wind. Hardy went for a Twist Of Fate, but Edge blocked it and hit an elevated DDT for a two count. Edge went to the second rope and jumped off, but Hardy got his feet up. Edge stopped himself and grabbed Jeff's feet, but Jeff upkicked and rolled Edge into a small package for a two count. Jeff hit a gourdbuster. Jeff went to climb the ropes, but Edge was rolling away, so Hardy kicked him into the corner. Hardy went for his elevated kick in the corner, but Edge grabbed him and hit a Hot Shot onto the exposed corner. Hardy kicked out at two. Edge set up for a spear, but as Edge charged, Jeff turned it into a Twist Of Fate. Jeff went to the top rope, and Vickie Guerrero ran out to stop him, but got knocked off the apron. Hardy hit the Swanton Bomb.

The referee started to count, but Vickie Guerrero pulled the referee away from the corner. Matt Hardy ran out with a chair, and threw Vickie Guerrero into the ring. Matt gave Jeff the chair, then went to get another one. Jeff slid a chair under Edge's head for the Conchairto. Matt then wound up ... and blasted Jeff with a chairshot. Edge looked stunned. Matt just stared at Jeff. Edge covered Jeff and got the three count at the twenty minute mark.

Winner and new World Champion: Edge.

Matt Hardy, showing no emotion, walked off to the back. Edge and Vickie celebrated in the ring.

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